Stephen Sprouse debuted his collection at Louis Vuitton over 20 years ago now. This iconic line set the tone for many future collaborations under Marc Jacobs' leadership.
Stephen Sprouse
Before he became a cult New York designer, Sprouse attended the Rhode Island School of Design. After working for Halston, Sprouse launched his initial collections in the early 1980s and soon found success among the stars of the time. His neighbour and friend Debbie Harry was one of his most prominent clients as were Duran Duran and Billy Idol.
The New York Times said that Sprouse, "pioneered that decade's revolutionary idea of mixing uptown sophistication in clothing with a downtown punk and pop sensibility". His worked inspired designers who came to be well known in the fashion world like Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs. It is with the latter that he would go on to collaborate at Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse
Artistic Director from 1997, Marc Jacobs has spearheaded some incredible collaborations at Louis Vuitton. However, it was the Spring / Summer collection in 2001 that saw the first time the iconic, heritage brand made changes to its logo. Jacobs enlisted Sprouse to collaborate on a new collection that took the iconic monogram print and did something incredibly fresh and current with it.
At the time, it was a hugely popular collection within the industry. Vogue said, "The combination of the staid, old-school Vuitton luggage and the unique energy of Sprouse’s most typical, purest work makes both Sprouse and the luggage look somehow fresh”. It became an overnight success as soon as Paris Hilton was photographed with her bag from the collection. It is one of Louis Vuitton's most successful collaborations to date.
Since Sprouse's passing in 2004, Jacobs has resurrected his designs time and time again. Even though the designs may vary, the spirit of Sprouse's legacy very much lives on.
The Designs
The Monogram graffiti was Sprouse's original design. Louis Vuitton re-introduced Sprouse's original design with a neon twist. You can see the 2009 revamped design here.
Vogue referred to this design as “anti-snob snobbism”.
This Neon Pink Monogram Stephen Sprouse Graffiti Speedy 30 handbag sold for £1,033.56 in one of our auctions. It had the date code AA0029 which means it was made in January 2009.
A perhaps more subtle design to come out of the Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse collaborations is the leopard print. This Limited Edition Stephen Sprouse Leopard Speedy had a date code FL3112 which shows that it was produced from late July to early August 2012. We sold this handbag for a realised price of £778.36.
These bags were a massive success for the brand and sold out almost straightaway. You can see this design across multiple products from Louis Vuitton including scarves and Baby bags.
Another design featuring roses first drawn in 2001 was used posthumously in 2009. This colourful and fun collection is extremely eye-catching and collectable.
Stephen Sprouse previously sold at auction
While pieces from the Louis Vuitton Sprouse collections are relatively rare and hard to find, we are lucky enough to see them in our auctions.
In our February Designer Collection auction this year, we had 5 different Stephen Sprouse for Louis Vuitton scarves and 1 snood. We also featured 10 Stephen Sprouse scarves in our Designer Collection that took place last year in December. Here we can see highlights from both auctions...
Estimate £100 - £150
Price Realised: £247.00
LOUIS VUITTON - a blue Stephen Sprouse leopard print silk scarf.
Estimate £100 - £150
Price Realised: £169.00
LOUIS VUITTON - a navy and pink Stephen Sprouse leopard print scarf.
Estimate £100 - £150
Price Realised: £273.00
LOUIS VUITTON - a navy and turquoise Stephen Sprouse leopard print scarf.
Estimate £70 - £100
Price Realised: £97.00
LOUIS VUITTON - a Stephen Sprouse reversible silk snood.
Estimate £100 - £150
Price Realised: £195.00
LOUIS VUITTON – a lilac Stephen Sprouse leopard print cashmere scarf.
Estimate £100 - £150
Price Realised: £234.00
LOUIS VUITTON – a brown Stephen Sprouse leopard print cashmere scarf.
Valuations
If you are looking to find out how much your designer handbag could be worth, why not speak to our specialists? Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will provide you with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.
Fill in a form online, or you can book an appointment to visit our offices in Birmingham and London. We can also offer you a virtual valuation appointment.
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